News stories featuring crafty thieves hacking and pilfering data in increasingly intricate ways appear to be more common every day. Unfortunately, even organizations like the IRS are not invincible to these cybercriminal exploits. On Tuesday, the IRS disclosed that culprits have exploited an online service run by the agency, successfully acquiring access to over 100,000 taxpayers’ information. This data haul included tax returns and other tax-related documentation housed within the IRS.
The IRS further revealed in their Tuesday statement that this illegal access was made via a system known as ‘Get Transcript’. To breach this system, the criminals managed to bypass a security screen that demanded certain knowledge about the taxpayer, encompassing their Social Security number, date of birth, tax filing status, and residential address.
For more detailed information, visit CBS MONEY WATCH.
Picture Credits: John Morgan
